Dead heater!

[emeraldmaster]

Please help, my heater broke, rockslide that nearly killed my betta. i had all of decorations set up perfectly and today they just randomly fell! in the process, Red was nearly killed, good thing that he's fast. but the heater didn't fare so well. all of the electricle stuff on the inside was exposed to the water, not barbecue fish of me when i got the thing out. i spent an hour cleaning the tank of all the shards of glass left behind. but that isn't the emergency, in oklahoma we are having freezing temps and me tank is by a large window. without the heater, the tank gets to 55* with only the light to heat. i have very little money, had to buy meds to help Red heal a bit from swim bladder disorder that he still aint quite healed from. i am currently using a blanket to trap the heat in whilst i go to school. i need an ingenious way to heat the tank untill i gather the $20 for a heater. HELP!!!

[Sena Hansler]

Avoid windows and doors and drafty traffic areas such as hallways.

Use hot water bottles. Set them around the tank, not touching the glass but close. It won't be super stable or anything, but will work.

[emeraldmaster]

okay, thank you. my bright idea was to place a foot of blankets on the top of the tank to trap the heat in. then i put, one cup at a time, an entire gallon of hot water into the tank to speed along the process. now it is only the light and the blankets that heat the tank. the temps are up in the 60's now so i am less fearful, the tank seems to be heating up again.

[Sena Hansler]

Yikes!! Try putting hot water bottles all around the tank too :) that works better then adding hot water directly

[emeraldmaster]

the fish hated me but the temp raised up 3* so... i am not doing that again. i searched our 6 sheds and our barn to find the 55 gallon tank. the dabgum thing had no heater. thank you for the help, i'll try you ideas when i get back from Vocational technology school.

[Sena Hansler]

Awesome lol :) good luck!

[emeraldmaster]

thank you!